Information display system for vehicle

• US 6,864,807 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Toshiro, Todoriki, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen, Thomas J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US10/189,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20030006914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/995, 340/990, 340/994, 340/636.1, 701/22, 701/26, 235/384
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

In an information display system for a vehicle, an information receiving section receives positional information indicative of a present vehicle position and destination information indicative of a destination of the vehicle to derive a recommended route. A travel distance calculating section calculates a travelable distance on the basis of the obtained information. An editing section sets a travelable area of the vehicle according to the positional information, the travelable distance and guidance information, and edits route information including a recommended route within the travelable area. An outputting section displays the route information.

Claims

1. An information system for a vehicle, comprising:

an information receiving section that receives positional information including a position of the vehicle and destination information including a destination of the vehicle;

a storage section that stores guidance information including map information and consumption information as to an energy consumption of the vehicle;

a residual quantity detecting section that detects a residual energy quantity of the vehicle;

a travel distance calculating section that calculates a travelable distance according to the residual energy quantity and with reference to the guidance information;

an editing section that sets a travelable area wherein the vehicle can make a side-trip without charging energy, according to the positional information, the travelable distance and the guidance information, the editing section editing route information obtained by combining the travelable area and the map information including a recommended route; and

an outputting section that displays the route information.

2. The information system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the travel distance calculating section comprises an energy supply information generating section that generates charge necessity information indicative whether it is necessary to execute an energy charging of the vehicle, on the basis of the travelable distance and a distance of the recommended route between the present position and the destination.

3. The information system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guidance information includes supply information indicative of energy supply points, the travel distance calculating section including a supply point selecting section which selects at least one of energy supply points within the travelable area, and the editing section editing the route information including the charge necessity information.

4. The information system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the travel distance calculating section includes a charging cost calculating section which calculates an energy charging cost of an energy quantity charged at the energy charge point on the basis of the positional information, the destination information and the charging information, and the editing section editing the route information including a total need time needed for traveling the route between the present position and the destination.

5. The information system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the travelable distance calculating section includes a need time totalizing section which obtains a total time period needed for reaching the destination through the selected energy supply point on the basis of the energy charging cost at each of the energy supply points, the present position and the destination, and the editing section editing the routine information including the total time period.

6. The information system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the residual quantity of the energy includes one of a residual quantity of a battery for one of an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle and a residual quantity of fuel for one of an internal-combustion-engine drive vehicle and a hybrid vehicle.

7. An information system for an electric vehicle, comprising:

an information receiving section that receives present position information including a present position of the electric vehicle and destination information including a destination of the vehicle;

a storage section that stores guidance information including map information and energy supply information as to energy supply stations, and consumption information as to an energy consumption of the electric vehicle;

a battery detecting section that detects a charged state of a battery of the electric vehicle;

a travel distance calculating section that calculates a travelable distance corresponding to the charged state of the battery with reference to the consumption information;

an editing section that sets a travelable area of the electric vehicle on the basis of the travel distance information and wit reference to the guidance information, the editing section editing route information including a recommended route within the travelable area; and

an outputting section that displays the route information;

wherein the travel distance calculating section comprises an energy supply point selecting section that determines as to whether it is necessary to execute an energy charge on the basis of the travelable distance, to present position information and the destination information, the energy supply point selecting section selecting at least one of the energy supply stations within the travelable area with reference to the energy supply information when it is necessary to execute the energy charge,

wherein the travel distance calculating section comprises a charge cost calculating section that calculates a charge cost corresponding to a charge quantity needed at each supply point,

wherein the editing section edits the route information which includes at least one of positions of selected energy supply points, a charge quantity charged at each of the energy supply points and a need time needed for charging each of the charge quantity.

8. The information system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the travel distance calculating section includes a need time totalizing section which totalizes a time period taken for reaching the destination through each of the selected supply points, and the editing section edits the route information including at least the totalized need time.

9. An information system for a vehicle, comprising:

information receiving means for receiving positional information including a position of the vehicle and destination information including a destination of the vehicle;

storage means for storing guidance information including map information and consumption information as to an energy consumption of the vehicle;

residual quantity detecting means for detecting a residual energy quantity of the vehicle;

travel distance calculating means for calculating a travelable distance according to the residual energy quantity and with reference to the guidance information;

editing means for setting a travelable area wherein the vehicle can make a side-trip without charging energy, according to the positional information, the travelable distance and the guidance information, the editing section editing route information obtained by combining the travelable area and the map information including a recommended route; and

outputting means for displaying the route information.

10. A method for displaying information to a user of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving positional information including a position of the vehicle and destination information including a destination of the vehicle;

storing guidance information including map information and consumption information as to an energy consumption of the vehicle;

detecting a residual energy quantity of the vehicle;

calculating a travelable distance according to the residual energy quantity and with reference to the guidance information;

setting a travelable area wherein the vehicle can make a side-trip without charging energy, according to the positional information, the travelable distance and the guidance information,

editing route information obtained by combining the travelable area and the map information including a recommended route; and

displaying the route information.

11. An information system for an electric vehicle, comprising:

an information receiving section that receives present position information including a present position of the electric vehicle and destination information including a destination of the vehicle;

a storage section that stores guidance information including a map information and energy supply information as to energy supply stations, and consumption information as to an energy consumption of the electric vehicle;

a battery detecting section that detects a charged state of a battery of the electric vehicle;

a travel distance calculating section that calculates a travelable distance corresponding to the charged state of the battery with reference to the consumption information;

an editing section that sets a travelable area wherein the electric vehicle can make a side-trip without charging energy, on the basis of the travel distance information and with reference to the guidance information, the editing section editing route information by combining the travelable area and map information including a route; and

an outputting section that displays the route information;

wherein the travel distance calculating section comprises an energy supply point selecting section that determines as to whether it is necessary to execute an energy charge on the basis of the travelable distance, the present position information and the destination information, the energy supply point selecting section selecting at least one of the energy supply stations within the travelable area with reference to the energy supply information when it is necessary to execute the energy charge,

wherein the travel distance calculating section comprises a charge of cost calculating section that calculates a charge cost corresponding to a charge quantity needed at each supply point,

wherein the editing section edits the route information which includes at least one of positions of selected energy supply points, a charge quantity charged at each of the energy supply points and a need time needed for charging each of the charge quantity.